


Find Me At the End of the Road

by Bhun



Category: Until Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Post-Canon, Angst, Cheating, Climbing Class, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Josh lives AU, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-24
Updated: 2015-09-24
Packaged: 2018-04-23 05:53:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4865501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bhun/pseuds/Bhun
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Chris is a  26-year old man with a wrecked marriage, aching back and a tiring job. After his wife once again cancels their date and he forgets his keys home, Chris ends up meeting his childhood friend Joshua Washington at a local bar. The next morning he wakes up naked in Josh's bed and realizes he has committed a terrible mistake.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Find Me At the End of the Road

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place in an AU where Josh is saved from the mines before turning into a wendigo.

The bar reeked of middle aged divorced men, but as Chris almost was one himself, he didn’t mind. He stared at his half empty glass and sighed. It was Friday evening and once again Ashley had “forgotten” their romantic dinner. Not that Chris was surprised - the last time she hadn’t cancelled their plans must have been at least three months ago now. As much as Chris wished to say it wasn’t the case, it was an unavoidable fact that their marriage was a one huge wreck.

It had all started like a fairy tale - a girl meets a boy, they start studying together and end up falling in love with each other. They get married and move to a nice apartment with a large bedroom, candles that smell like roses and dandelion-patterned curtains. However, in Chris and Ashley’s case, they hadn’t managed to follow the story and live happily ever after. No, instead, they were both in their late twenties and stuck with each other in a relationship that just refused to work.

It wasn’t that Chris blamed Ashley - no, in fact, Chris was well aware that it was just as much his fault as Ashley’s that they had ended up in their situation - but he still couldn’t help feeling betrayed when Ashley cancelled their plans. Even if their relationship wasn’t a perfect one, they were still married, and it hurt that his wife always chose her “night out with the girls” over their romantic dinners. They barely even met each other nowadays due to Ashley’s working hours, so it didn’t feel good that on the few days they could spend time together, Ashley didn’t want to.  

Chris sighed and rubbed his forehead.

“Bad day, huh?” the bartender asked. Chris lifted his head slightly and nodded.

“Can’t say it’s been a good one exactly”, he let out a small chuckle. It wasn’t just the Ashley thing that bothered him. The whole day had been complete shit. He got stuck in a traffic jam, was late to work, got scolded by his boss and even forgot his keys home. Now he was tired, lonely and locked out of his apartment. And soon, if he continued at the current rate, he would be drunk too.   

Chris placed his glass on the bar table and quickly took a peek at the clock on his phone. 22:53. He didn’t feel like spending the whole night at a bar, but Ashley wouldn’t be home until 10 am earliest and he certainly didn’t have any money for a hotel either. He could always sleep in the car, but then his already hurting back would get worse. Of course there was the option of calling Ashley and asking her to come home for a minute just to let Chris in, but Chris wasn’t sure if he wished to tell her he had once again forgotten his keys home. The last time it happened Ashley had shouted at him for hours and Chris wasn’t eager to relive the experience.

It was at times like this that Chris truly missed his youth and all those silly nights when he could just crash at Josh’s place with little to no warning. Now those days were long gone. Chris hadn’t seen his best friend since the wedding, which was already over four years ago. They had chatted via Facebook for a while, but as it had turned out to Chris, talking online wasn’t enough. Besides, married life was surprisingly restricting - he couldn’t drive across the whole country every weekend just to see his best bud, and Josh was too busy to drive all the way to Vancouver too.

Chris breathed out and looked around the bar, trying to distract himself from thinking about the past. It was quiet for a Friday night. Even though Chris’s favorite bar wasn’t particularly a popular one, it still usually attracted more customers than it did that day. There were four people in the bar in addition to Chris and the bartender: a miserable-looking man in his fifties slurping down a huge pint of beer; a couple, presumably, who was quietly squabbling in one of the booths and a young lone man, who sat in the corner of the bar. Chris couldn’t see his face properly, as the mystery man sat in a shadow, but something in his figure felt oddly familiar.

And just as Chris thought about possibly standing up and going to the bathroom just to see the mystery man better, the man rose. Chris turned his head in a quick motion, pretending not to have looked at the man. He tried to concentrate on the beer glass in front of him, but couldn’t help listening to the other man’s movements.

"Another pint of Guinness, please.”

Chris froze. He recognized that voice. No, he didn’t just recognize it, he knew it. Chris looked to his left, where the man stood. Now Chris could see him way better and…Chris blinked a few times. It couldn’t be….

“Josh?” he muttered, raising his other eyebrow and staring at the man, who turned to look back at Chris. Yep, Chris confirmed to himself, Josh it was. That dark, slightly curly hair, those brown, deep eyes and that strong jawline… Chris could recognize that face with his eyes closed. Besides, Josh hadn’t changed that much - he looked almost identical to his younger self, the only major difference being his now darker eye bags and the new wrinkles around his face.

For a moment Josh looked at Chris confused, but then a light surfaced in his eyes. His slight frown turned into a wide smile as his gaze quickly traveled around Chris, making sure it was really him.

“Chris?”

“Hey. I-It’s been a while”, Chris felt awkward. It was way too many years and honestly, he wasn’t sure how to act around his childhood friend. However, no matter how uncertain he felt, Chris also felt delighted: it was always good to see Josh, especially on a not-so-great day like this.

“Yeah, it’s been far too long”, Josh let out a nervous laughter as he sat next to his ex-best friend, “How are you man? How’s it with Ash?”

“It’s fine, it’s good. Ashley’s… ok”, the blonde lied. He didn’t want to trouble Josh, not after not seeing him for dear god, who knows how many years. Josh usually had enough problems of his own, and the last thing Chris wished to do was start rambling on about his personal relationship drama.

“That’s great to hear”, Josh grinned, his eyes locked on Chris, “I’m good too, man, I’m actually part of this movie studio and I’m, well, living a dream.” He chuckled and Chris couldn’t help smiling too. Hearing his best friend’s laugh and seeing his genuine smile after so many years really did warm his heart.

“Congrats man. I’m working at an IT company and it’s not really luxurious, but I’ll live.” Chris took a sip from his pint, “So what are you doing around here? Don’t you live in Toronto?”

“I actually moved here last month”, Josh explained. Chris raised his eyebrows. While Josh had always dreamed about living in Hollywood or New York, he also loved Toronto, and Chris knew he didn’t wish to leave the city he had wished to live in for so long. So why had he voluntarily moved to Vancouver instead?

“Why here?” Chris couldn’t hide the surprise in his voice.

“My studio’s main office is here and when I got a promotion I had no choice but to move”, Josh explained.

“Oh, I see.”

“You still live in that tiny apartment?” Josh teased with a smirk on his face. Chris snorted.

“It’s not that tiny”, he protested, “Ashley likes it so there’s not point in moving.”

“What about what you think? Don’t you wish for a change of environment sometimes?” Josh leaned against his palm, pouting.

“I…” Chris didn’t know how to answer. In all honesty, he didn’t like their current apartment that much, as it was an two hour drive away from his work, but Ashley was very fond of it, so Chris didn’t want to take that away from her.

Before Chris could continue, Josh answered with a small laughter. He shook his head and drank.

“Four years later and you’re still a wuss”, he joked, “You really need to learn to think of yourself sometimes.”

“I know”, the younger man sighed. He did know it very well. He spent so much of his time trying to make Ashley happy, trying to fix their already broken relationship, that he just ended up hurting himself. He had known it even before they got married, but at that time, it hadn’t mattered. He had loved Ashley so much, so desperately that he had just wanted to be with her even if it meant making some sacrifices. But now… Chris wasn’t sure anymore.    

Josh patted him on the back, waking him from his deep thoughts. Chris flinched and looked at Josh, who was smiling.

“Hey, hey, man, I didn’t mean to upset you”, he moved his arm, slightly shaking Chris, “You don’t need to feel bad about something like that. Now turn that frown upside down alright? I’ll treat you, so let’s just drink.”

Chris flashed him a quick grin. Josh’s company really was relaxing. Even after these years, even when they knew close to nothing about each other's current lives, even now Josh managed to choose the exact right words to make him feel better. Chris’s stomach felt oddly bubbly.

They drank couple of rounds while exchanging news and telling each other of their current lives. Chris found out that Josh was a movie producer and while he hadn’t produced any big hits yet, his latest indie movie had done well in box office. He also learned that Josh, despite being a bit older and calmer now, still loved to party and still had the best jokes. The further the night proceeded, the more comfortable and happier Chris got. He was not sure whether this was due to the constantly increasing amount of alcohol in his blood or the joy of being with Josh for the first time in years. However, if something Chris did know, is that Josh’s company had never been funnier and more pleasing before.

The two of them finally left the bar at 1 am. Wobbling down the streets, laughing his ass off at the other man’s jokes with his left hand on Josh’s shoulder, Chris felt lighter than he had felt in years. It was cold and the wind kept giving him the chills, but Josh’s mellow breath that reeked of alcohol and the shoulder against Chris’s arm kept him warm. Josh explained some silly joke as they walked, but Chris couldn’t concentrate on listening. His heart was beating and he couldn’t stop smiling. The night was cold and filled with Josh’s laughter and Chris was happy.  
    

 

*

  
  
Chris ended up crashing at the other man’s place. He hadn’t informed Josh of this, and neither had the brunette invited him, but in that incoherent, drunken state of mind, it just felt natural to follow Josh to his place.

The apartment was just what Chris had expected it to be: a small two-room apartment that probably hadn’t been cleaned for months. His sheets were all over the bed, there were McDonald’s takeout bags everywhere, you couldn’t even see his dinner table under all the dirty dishes and the couch was full of holes. Despite his parents being millionares, all of Josh’s furniture seemed to be old and used. Maybe his parents refused to get him an expensive couch after all the times Josh had ruined his previous ones. Chris grinned. He still remember the time he accidentally spilled his coke on Josh’s brand new white leather sofa.

All of it was almost nostalgic. He had spent so many days in Josh’s room, curled up on his couch or bed, playing video games or watching tv or doing nothing at all, with Josh always on his side. Even though the apartment wasn’t the same one, it still had the same feeling of Josh in it. Everything in the room looked, smelled and felt like Josh. The color of his curtains, how the floor felt… It was all just so Josh. Well, naturally, as it was his apartment. However, to Chris, it was somehow hard to understand that this was it, Josh was here, he was right there next to Chris again.

“I’m sorry, I haven’t had the time to clean”, Josh said as he disappeared to the kitchen. Chris groaned, letting himself fall to the couch.

“I don’t mind”, he answered. Back when they were teenagers, Josh’s room had always been a mess, so Chris was used to it.

Josh returned with a bottle of wine. He threw both it and an bottle opener to Chris, who opened and then took a big gulp from it. Josh, grinning at his best friend, sat down next to him.

“Sorry, I forgot it wasn’t you who was all uptight about cleaning, it was Ash.”

“Shut up”, Chris groaned. He kicked Josh’s leg. The other man, in protest, moved his legs up on Chris’s and left them to rest there.

“Man, it’s been way too long since we l ast hanged out”, Josh laughed. He snatched the bottle from Chris and drank, before dropping it to the floor. Chris agreed. Four years was a long time and he did regret not making an effort to see Josh even once during that time.

“We should do this more often”, he proposed, hoping that Josh shared his opinion. This night had once again reminded him of how much he enjoyed his childhood friend’s company. He really had missed him.

“We totally should”, Josh said in a teasing way, “I’d love to spend more time with you.”

“Yeah. Ash hates it when I’m home anyways, so it’d be nice to have someone to relax with.“

Chris turned to look at Josh, who was staring at the other, his lips slowly moving up to form a smile.

“What?”

“Nothing, I just… I was thinking”, Josh said, “Honestly, you deserve so much better than Ash.”

“You must be joking, right?” Chris scoffed.

“No, I mean it”, Josh insisted, “You’re a really good guy. You’re sweet and kind and you always look after everyone and you’re smart-“

“Shut up”, Chris interrupted his best friend, “It’s embarrassing when you say that.” His cheeks were flaming red and Chris could swear it wasn’t just because of the alchohol.

“But it’s true”, Josh said, smirking, “You should dumb her already. It’s been long enough.”

Chris laughed. It must have been a joke. He could never break up with Ashley. If she did want to break it off, Chris would accept it, but he couldn’t dumb her, it was not like him to do something like that. Besides, Chris still had some hope for their relationship. Just because Ashley didn’t want to spend any time with him didn’t mean their relationship was doomed.

No. Chris shaked off the thoughts of Ashley from his mind. Not tonight. He was with Josh now, and he wanted to relax. He wanted to have fun with his best friend. He didn’t want to get emotional, not now. Chris took a deep breath and then glanced at Josh, who had been side-eyeing Chris the whole time.

“Man, just date someone better than her”, Josh groaned, “Someone who appreciates you. I mean, I’m no expert at this relationship thing, but shouldn’t you date someone who actually cared for you?” Chris poked his arm.

“What, you mean someone like you?” Chris laughed, but Josh moved a little closer and winked at Chris.

“Yeah, totally”, Josh said, “Oh _Christopher_ , please make love to me all night long.” Both of them cracked up, unable to keep straight face.

“Oh god, please stop”, Chris sighed. He kicked Josh’s legs off of him and reached down to take a sip from the wine bottle before returning to the couch to his previous position.

“Why the long face?” Josh smirked, “It’s not that implausible idea. We have made out couple of times, remember? Damn, I think I’d actually be up for it.”

Chris spat out his drink.

“What? You serious?” he asked while trying to wipe the wine from his face with his sleeve. He couldn’t help chuckling a bit. Knowing Josh, it had probably been just a joke.

“Yeah, I’m sure I would”, Josh decided. Chris just stared at him, silent. The younger man could hear his own heartbeat and feel his cheeks turning hotter by every second that passed.

“What, it’s not that shocking, is it?” Josh laughed at the other one's reaction, “You need to broaden your horizons, bro.”

Chris chuckled, still unsure whether Josh was kidding or not. However, Chris couldn’t help feeling a bit excited about the idea. His head felt really fuzzy, likely because of all the alchohol he had digested that night, and his mind wasn’t working clearly. Yes, Chris thought. That’s why he had felt so warm earlier and that’s why he was excited about the turn the conversation had taken. He was just drunk and having fun.

“So… Let’s say we did hook up. What would you do?” Chris asked. It was just a game. Nothing serious. Just two best friends having fun.

“Oh”, Josh looked confused. He looked at Chris for a minute before snapping out of it and continuing.

“Well, at first I would move a little closer”, Josh said and dragged himself slightly closer to Chris, so that their arms nearly touched. When Chris didn’t protest or make a single effort to stop him, he kept on going.

“Then, I would open your shirt, button by button.” Josh placed his hand close to Chris’s flannel shirt’s buttons and gently slipped one open. Chris couldn’t breathe. He just watched as Josh slowly unbuttoned the shirt. Every time Josh’s fingertips brushed Chris’s skin, his heart skipped a beat.

“And then?” Chris was barely able to open his mouth.

“Ooh, someone is starting to get excited”, Josh whispered, making Chris’s cheeks turn bright red in an instant.

“You- You need to sshut up, Joshua”, Chris muttered. He stared at Josh, who’s constant smirk just got wider.

“Aaw, I can’t believe your speech is getting slurry”, Josh teased, “You’re still just as bad with alcohol as ever.”

“Ssshut up.”

The atmosphere had changed from the silly, happy mood to something different. Something that Chris couldn’t describe. Josh was really close to him now and Chris couldn’t stop staring at his lips. He felt blurry and hot and his chest was tingling with excitement.

“You… really… need to… sshut up…” Chris’s voice was just a whisper now. Josh kept coming closer and Chris sat there, staring at the other man, cheeks red and chest bursting. He could feel Josh’s breath, could taste the mixture of alcohol and warmth that filled the air. He slipped his fingers closer. Josh adjusted his position, grabbing the other man’s waist and leaning in even closer.

“Make”, Josh’s voice was raspy but excited, “me.”

Chris pressed his lips against Josh’s. They were scratchy and tasted of wine, but the kiss still felt soft. Josh responded, pushing himself against Chris, deepening the touch of their lips. He slided his fingers through Chris’s hair and then pulled himself away. Both of them panting and blushing, they looked at each other.

"That was…” Chris didn’t know what to say. Everything in his mind was blank, everything felt fuzzy. He couldn’t concentrate his thoughts on anything else but the fact that Josh was right there in front of him and he had never wanted anyone as much as he wanted him right now.

“If I’m supposed to shut up then shouldn’t you too, Cochise?” Josh grinned and kissed Chris again.

 

  
*

 

  
“I’m so so screwed” was all that Chris could think when he opened his eyes just to find himself laying naked in his best friends bed, with the aforementioned best friend curled up next to thin - also naked.

Slowly Chris pulled himself up. What the fuck had happened last night? The last thing he remembered was sitting at the bar with Josh and exchanging news. How he had ended up from there to sleeping in Josh’s bed - Chris had no idea. If the loud snoring was anything to go by, Josh was still fast asleep. Chris rubbed his forehead. Everything was twirling and he felt an odd pressure at the bottom of his stomach.

Chris dragged himself to the edge of the bed and rose up. He grabbed his underwear from the floor (why the hell was it on the floor, oh god) and quickly dressed himself. His knees felt weak, making walking tiring and he had no idea of where the bathroom was, but he knew that if he didn’t find the toilet soon, he would end up puking on Josh’s white bed sheets. He opened the door and stumbled to the living room. He wobbled to the room he assumed to be the bathroom and - thank god - his guess was right. He fell to the bathroom floor and as soon as he managed put the toilet seat up, he puked.

After vomiting all of the yesterday’s dinner, Chris collapsed to the floor. Every bone in his body was heavy and aching. His stomach grumbled but thankfully the blonde didn’t feel like puking anymore. Instead, he just sat there on the bathroom floor while holding his head that was throbbing with pain.

“Chris?” a muffled voice rang from the bedroom. Chris didn’t have the energy to answer. Few minutes passed before Josh popped to the bathroom doorway. Just like Chris, he only had his underpants on, but unlike Chris, he seemed to be fine and not half dead. It was no surprise, considering how Chris had always been way worse with alcohol than Josh. The older man scanned the room and when his eyes met Chris, who was crouching next to the vomit-filled toilet, the laugh on his face turned into a disgusted frown.

“You look like hell”, Josh commented. Chris snorted.

“Thanks for the compliment”, he groaned, “Can you please explain me what the hell happened last night?”

The smirk returned, although it was a little less excited than before. Josh eyed Chris’s still-naked upper half and then chuckled.

“I’ll explain it all in full detail after you have dressed up and joined me for a breakfast”, he insisted.

“You’re in your underwear too”, the blonde man complained, but the other man just laughed.

“Exactly,” he gave Chris one last smile and left the room.

 

  
*

 

  
The breakfast options weren’t fancy. Josh’s fridge was empty and his cupboards weren’t any better. There was beer, some milk that didn’t smell exactly drinkable and few pieces of white bread. Reluctantly, Chris chose the bread, poured himself a glass of water and sat down at the table that Josh had somehow managed to clean during the short ten minutes when Chris took a shower,

“Want some coffee?” Josh asked while fussing around the coffee machine.

“No thanks”, the younger man muttered, remembering the spoiled milk. Josh took his coffee and joined Chris at the table.

An awkward silence filled the room. Chris scratched his head nervously. While he still couldn’t remember what exactly had happened the previous night, he did have these weird… flashes of what had been one of the most confusing nights of his life. He remembered Josh’s lips on his neck and his hands on Josh’s crotch. He remembered his back hitting the bed as he and Josh fell on it, entangled in each other's arms. He still felt Josh’s touch on his chest, still remembered Josh’s pulse so close to him, still remembered the warmth…

Chris blushed. He breathed out. Try not to think about it, he thought. It must have been just a dream. A really fucked up dream, but still just a dream nevertheless.

“So, uh…” Chris mumbled. Josh put his coffee cup down and scratched the back of his neck. He smiled, but only a little.

“Do you remember anything of last night?” he asked. He didn’t look Chris in the eye. He seemed to be nervous, which didn’t happen often, not for Josh. There weren’t many times Chris had seen his best friend like this and most of those times had been when Josh had been in a very bad condition. Then again, even now, when Josh seemed to be more nervous than he almost ever was, he was nothing compared to Chris. His palms were sweating and he knew he would stutter the moment he opened his mouth.

“I-… I might…but…”, he stared at the wooden table in front of him, “I was really wasted, alright?” Honestly, he hadn’t been that drunk. Sure, he didn’t remember much, but that was nothing new to Chris, that happened almost every time he drank. He took a sip of his water, trying to calm himself down.

“Man, this sure is awkward”, Josh let out a quiet laughter, “How do I say this… We fucked last night.”

Chris spat out his drink.

“Wh- What?” he stared at the brunette, who was trying to resist smiling at the other man’s reaction.

“Should I be offended that you don’t remember it at all?” Josh complained, still trying to hide his devilish smirk. Chris stared at him. It all felt so unreal. Those sloppy, wet kisses, those burning touches he could still almost feel in his skin… All of it had actually happened. Chris had actually slept with his used-to-be-best-friend. Chris had cheated on Ashley.

The blonde broke the eye connection. He turned his gaze towards the table again. His throat was aching. He felt his eyes itching. _God, don’t start crying, not now Chris_. Ashley didn’t have to find out. Chris could end this right now and it would be like nothing had ever happened in the first place.

Josh sighed. He got up and turned to put his coffee mug to the dishwasher. Chris leaned towards the table and rested his head between his hands.

“Josh, I…” he didn’t know what to say. All this time he had doubted Ashley, all this time he had secretly blamed her for cheating on him with no evidence at all. All this time he had thought that “at least he never betrayed her”. But now he had. And with Josh on top of it all.

“I know Cochise, I know-“

Chris flinched at the old nickname. He rose his head and looked at Josh, who was sitting on top of the kitchen counter with a slight, somehow sad smile on his lips.

"It was just a one night’s stand. You’re married and it’s not like I’m into you or anything, man”, he said, his eyes locked on Chris’s,     

“I’m sorry I made you cheat on Ash. I was drunk too.” He dropped from the counter and turned his back at Chris.

“I’ll have to take a shower so when you’re done with your stuff you can just go.”

Chris was left alone in the kitchen. Confused, tired, even annoyed… He wasn’t sure what to think. He finished his bread, drank the rest of the water and returned to the bedroom. Now that the lights were on, and he wasn’t either completely drunk or about to puke his guts out, he could see the room properly. It was surprisingly clean - at least compared to the rest of the apartment. Chris picked up his jacket from the floor and put it on. They sure had been in a hurry last night, he sighed. One of his pant’s buttons was almost ripped off, and Chris was confident it hadn’t been that way before.

He reached for his glasses on the nightstand but just as he was about to pick them up, something else caught his attention. On the table rested an old, slightly yellowed photo. And in that photo, there were two young men, laughing while their arms were wrapped around each other's shoulders. Their smiles were so young and so innocent, unaware of everything that was to come.

Chris put down the picture. He could remember that warm prom night like yesterday. The whole night Hannah and Beth had been teasing Chris for not having a date but then Josh had jokingly asked his hand for a dance. Chris had joined in the joke and all four of them had ended up laughing at the ridiculous thought of the two of them having a romantic relationship. Later, when Josh’s sisters were asleep, and it was only the two of them and a bottle of booze, they had ended up having a short, drunken make out session. Accompanied with many whispers of “no homo” and “It’s just a joke, bro”, of course.

It had been just one night, just couple of stupid drunken kisses. The next morning they had joked about it, thought it was the funniest thing ever to happen. Him and Josh, the best friends forever, making out. They were only 16 and they were stupid. And yet, even if it was ten long years ago, Chris felt even more confused and stupid now than he had felt back then.  
    

  
*

  
  
Chris knew Ashley was mad at him the second he entered the entrance. She was sitting on a couch, her legs and arms crossed. Her red hair was put on a sloppy bun and her make up had spread all over her face. Chris stumbled to the living room and dropped his bag to the floor.

“You didn’t mention you would be spending the night somewhere else”, she snapped, patting her finger against her arm.

“I wasn’t supposed to”, Chris lied, walking past Ashley to the kitchen. His stomach growled with hunger and he would do his best to avoid the conversation with Ashley. Maybe this once Ashley would give up before it even started.

“Chris, where were you?” Ashley stood up and followed the blonde to the kitchen, “You know you have to tell me at least that much? What if something had happened? What if I needed to see you and then you weren’t here?”

Of course not. Chris sighed. He should have known that he couldn’t avoid having this conversation the second he came home, not when it was with Ashley. First he cheated on her and then tried avoiding her? That was really low, even Chris knew that. Maybe it was better to face her head on, Chris thought, but part of him was still unsure. He wasn’t good at lying, but he didn’t want to admit to cheating on her either. If he did that, their relationship would surely end.

“Were you drinking again? You smell terrible”, Ashley sounded almost worried.

“I didn’t drink a lot”, Chris lied, obviously. He knew Ashley would get even worse if he admitted to getting wasted. She was always like that about drinking: if it were up to her to decide, Chris would never drink at all.

“So, mind telling me where you were?” Ashley asked, her voice still tense. Chris took out a can of milk and poured a glass of it. His hands were shaking so much he nearly spilled it.

“I-I… I met Josh last night”, Chris said, still unsure how to explain the situation. Should he lie? Should he tell the truth? How much of it would he tell? Was he even capable of lying about this? But even if it felt bad to lie, he didn’t want to tell the truth.

“Josh?” Ashley raised her eyebrows, “What’s he doing here?” She didn’t sound delighted. No, instead, she had crossed her arms again and now wouldn’t stop staring at Chris, urging for a quick answer.

“He uh… He moved here, apparently… For work.”

“Oh really? Did you stay at his place?”

She just wouldn’t let go. While Chris understood her concern, it felt a bit hypocritical: every time Ashley was out without informing Chris, she would get mad at even the thought of Chris being curious of where she had been.

“Yeah, he- he lives close to the bar and it was late, so I stayed there.”

“I see”, Ashley sighed. She moved her hair from her forehead and rubbed her skin. The eye bags under her eyes were darker than ever. Chris felt a stung in his conscience. He had really hurt Ashley this time.

“I’m sorry for making you worry Ash. I should’ve called you”, he apologized. I’m sorry for sleeping with Josh, he added in his mind. That he wouldn’t say out loud though. Not now at least. Maybe one day, but at the moment Chris had neither the courage or energy to confess it.

Ashley didn’t answer. She gave Chris a small nod and then left the room without saying a word. Chris took a deep breath. How badly had he fucked up this time? Chris had never had exactly good relationship skills, but he did know that cheating on your wife with your ex-best friend was a sure way to stir up some drama. And drama was everything Chris didn’t wish for.

“Fuuck”, he groaned as he rubbed his eyebrows.

He _really_ shouldn’t have written his phone number behind the prom photo.  
 

     
*

  
  
_June 20th, 2018_

Josh was swimming in sweat. His hands, his hair and his face were all soaking. It was way too hot for June and neither the poorly air-conditioned church or the black thick suit helped.

Honestly he didn’t want to be there at all. Most guests were rude old aunties, who kept going on about how the bride was way too beautiful for the groom or nosy old uncles who made uncomfortable hints about the pair’s life in the sheets. And even though Josh made these kinds of jokes himself, it was completely different when he heard them from a 78-year old Uncle Manfred.

On top of the annoying guests, he had to stand the murdering glances from his old friends. They hadn’t seen in years, and as it turned out to Josh, they still held grudge against him. Josh didn’t blame them. He had nearly killed all of them. His stupid, selfish prank had almost ruined all of their lives. He didn’t deserve their forgiveness, he understood that, but it still felt unpleasant when a bunch of your ex-friends just stood there glaring at you.

“Joshua?” Mrs. Anderson snapped Josh out of his thoughts. She was holding her cell phone and pouting.

“He still hasn’t answered. Would you mind trying to call him one more time? Please?”

Josh sighed. Yes, the weather, the guests and his previous friends made this wedding tiring and horrible for him, but what really ruined everything was that something extremely important for the wedding was missing. Namely, the groom.

Josh picked up his phone, chose Chris’s number and pressed the “call” button. Few seconds passed and then - he answered! As quick as he could, Josh slammed the phone next to his ear.

“Where the hell are you, bro?” he didn’t let Chris even say “hello” before he started shouting at him, “Your wedding starts in fifteen minutes! You should be here right now!”

A quiet whimper from the other end of the call.

“Josh I’m… I don’t know.”

Chris’s voice was quiet. It was broken, it was unclear and Josh could hear that he had been crying. Josh let out a long sigh. He lowered his voice.

“Chris, tell me where are you, alright? I won’t tell anyone else”, he promised, side-eyeing the groom’s mother who was staring at him.

“I- I’m near the convenience store close to the church…” Chris answered with his shaky voice.

“Okay… I’ll be there in a minute. Let’s talk then”, the brunette said.

“Please-“

“I know, I won’t bring anyone else, don’t worry. Stay there, please.”

After Chris answered with a small accepting whimper, Josh hanged up the call and stuffed his phone to his pocket. Mrs. Anderson rushed to him, her eyes wide open, waiting for an explanation.

“So where is Christopher? We’re almost out of time”, she asked.

“He’s close”, Josh explained, “I’ll go get him. Meanwhile, try to postpone the wedding as much as you can. Don’t let Ashley know, though.”  
   

Luckily, the convenience store wasn’t a long drive away. It didn’t take long for Josh to arrive to the convenience store, leave his car and find his best friend. Chris was sitting on a wooden bench next to the store, his head buried in his hands.

Josh walked up to the groom and sat down next to the him. He placed his hand on Chris’s shoulder and patted. The blonde was sobbing. Seeing Chris like this felt terrible. Usually it was the other way around - usually it was Josh who was panicking and Chris was the one comforting him. It wasn’t often that Chris lost his cool and Josh had to calm him down.

“You alright?”

He didn’t answer.

“Chris, you can talk to me”, Josh said, “Your mother is buying you more time, so we’re not in a hurry.” It was a bit of a white lie, but Josh didn’t want to make Chris panic, so it was better to try to convince him that he wasn’t yet out of time. Even if he nearly was.

“I- I love her”, Chris whispered, his voice cracking, “I know I love her, but still…”

“It’s normal to panic before your wedding”, Josh reassured.

Chris shaked his head.

“That’s not it”, he insisted, “I’m not just panicking. I’m seriously considering leaving her and it’s so wrong, I’m supposed to love her yet still I’m-“

“Chris, listen to me”, the brunette interrupted him, “You are not doing anything wrong, ok? You are making a huge decision here, it’s normal to be shaken up.”

Chris raised his head and looked at Josh. His eyes were red and puffy - he had clearly been crying for a long time.

"You don’t need to marry her if you don’t want to. Nobody’s forcing you.”

Josh sighed. Honestly, he didn’t want to add in the next part, but he knew that he had to. It hurt him, but this wasn’t about him: this was about Chris. And Chris needed Josh’s support - his best friend’s support - so Josh had to help him, even if it meant putting aside his own wishes. Chris deserved that much.

“However, if you do love her, I mean, truly love her, you shouldn’t let her go because of some panicking. You might not get another chance ever again. So if you want to spend the rest of your life with her, you should wipe that wet red face of yours, get in the car and go make her yours.”

Chris had stopped crying. He was now staring at his hands, quiet. Josh looked at him, waiting for a response. A part of him, just a slight part of him felt hopeful, prayed for Chris to run away, to abandon Ashley and forget the whole marriage, but Josh knew that part was wrong so he ignored it. Instead he filled his head with thoughts of Chris getting up and marrying Ashley.

And after couple of quiet minutes, Chris took a deep breath and stood up.

“Thank you Josh. You’re right, I-… Let’s go.”

Chris smiled at Josh and while the smile still seemed a bit unsure, his eyes were now filled with confidence. Josh swallowed his disappointment, ignored the unpleasant pressure in his chest and grinned at the groom.

“Yeah. No problem bro.”

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally based on an idea my sister had, but then it turned into a bigger project than planned after I started writing it. I'm planning on writing around 8 chapters, but unfortunately I can't promise regular updates as I'm quite busy at the moment. I'll try to get one out once in a while though!


End file.
